System keeps track of radiological material in transit, at jobsites
A well logging configuration for MSTS consists of radiation measurement devices, radiofrequency tags and other loss detection technology. MSTS, developed by PNNL, has been licensed to Golden Security Services.
(Image: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)
A Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) team that transferred a PNNL-developed security innovation to private industry has been honored with a 2023 Best in Region award for the Far West region from the Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer.
The innovation, called Mobile Source Transit Security, or MSTS, is an electronic system that keeps track of and secures radiological material in transit or at jobsites.
PNNL researchers developed the system with the support of the National Nuclear Security Administration's Office of Radiological Security.
While radiological materials are safe and well-regulated for their intended use, if lost or stolen they could be used by terrorists to make dirty bombs. Radioactive materials are a critical tool in numerous industrial applications, particularly oil and gas drilling and welding. Missing sources also pose a health threat to anyone who might encounter or touch the source, unaware of what it is.
PNNL has licensed the technology to Golden Security Services, located near Miami, and to Eagle Integrated Services of Washington, D.C.
The PNNL team previously had been honored with a national 2023 Federal Laboratory Consortium Excellence in Technology Transfer Award for the MSTS innovation.
The PNNL team that developed MSTS includes: Brion Burghard, a software engineer and the well logging MSTS development team leader; Kurt Silvers, a project manager and the industrial radiography MSTS development team leader; Tonya Roush, project manager; Brian Higgins, project manager; Ann Archer, electrical engineer; Andrei Valsan, software engineer; Bruce Lawler, software engineer; Emiliano Santiago-Rojas, electrical engineer; Franco Santiago, lead hardware technician; and Angelica Abide, program manager at the National Nuclear Security Administration. Kannan Krishnaswami served as the PNNL technology commercialization manager.
Published: June 23, 2023